The Ride Theory Have New Video And Plans For New Album

Despite everything your mom has told you over the years, sometimes it pays to talk to strangers.

The Ride Theory discovered this in the summer when young filmmaker Llyod Choi contacted them through their MySpace site. The fan of "My Girl June" from the mod-influenced band's In This City disc asked the Hamilton quartet if he could make a video for it. They agreed, and the finished result has been delivered to MuchMusic and can be seen on a number of websites.

"Lloyd did everything — writing, shooting and editing, but he always kept us in the loop of what he was up to," explains bassist John Smith. "When he sent us the final video, we had very low expectations only because we'd never seen his work nor had we ever spoken in person.

"We were extremely impressed, to say the least. Others have been too, judging by the comments we've gotten on YouTube and MySpace.

"The Ride Theory were recently in the studio demoing material for the follow-up to In This City. They hope to release a new album, their third, sometime next year. According to guitarist Kyle Kuchmey, they're looking to shed their '60s garage rock image with their new songs and will experiment while recording to try and modernize their sound.

"We are growing frustrated with the constant references to The Yardbirds, The Rolling Stones and the '60s in general. We've certainly started this trend ourselves by openly declaring that we love '60s garage and constantly wearing suits on stage.

"We can't change our writing methods, apart from how they evolve naturally. What we can change is the recording process and what sounds we're employing. We want to find our own unique album sound without drawing too much from any era or artists in particular."

The group will likely road-test their new tunes during their current batch of shows, which should enable them to expand their fanbase since they'll play western Canada for the first time. While in Vancouver, they'll also record a live session for CBC Radio 3. Asked how they'll occupy themselves during the long drives between cities, Smith says everyone will probably play video games and sleep. He also mentions a recent idea that lead singer and guitarist Aron D'Alesio came up with, but isn't sure whether they'll actually go ahead with it or not.

"Aron entertained the idea of getting a cat from the SPCA and bringing it with us in the van. It could be a band cat. If things don't work out, we can let it out in another city and it could start a new life and have a second chance. Or we could pass it on to another touring band and it could be like the 'band cat of Canada.'"

Fresh out of university, the talented up-and-comers' quest for knowledge has yet to fade. The Ride Theory are eager to learn more about making videos, recording and touring as they continue to grow as a group. Along with learning the ins and outs of playing across Canada, Smith is looking forward to trying to unlock some of the country's great mysteries while on tour. "I'm anxious to see if nanaimo bars are grown in fields in Nanaimo, B.C."

Here are The Ride Theory's Canadian tour dates:

October 27 Edmonton, AB @ Velvet Underground
October 28 Golden, BC @ Packers Place Inn And Pub
October 31 Fernie, BC @ Phat City Lounge
November 2 Nanaimo, BC @ Queen's Hotel
November 3 Victoria, BC @ Logan's Pub
November 4 Vancouver, BC @ The Lamplighter
November 7 Kelowna, BC @ The Blue Gator
November 8 Lethbridge, AB @ Tongue N Groove
November 9 Calgary, AB @ Broken City
November 10 Canmore, AB @ Canmore Hotel
November 11 Regina, SK @ The Manhattan Room
November 13 Thunder Bay, ON @ The Apollo
November 17 Burlington, ON @ YMCA
November 18 Windsor, ON @ Phog Lounge
November 22 Hamilton, ON @ Absinthe
November 23 Guelph, ON @ Bookshelf E-Bar
November 24 Kingston, ON @ The Grad Club
November 25 Ottawa, ON @ Babylon